The main salon of the d'Aiglemort residence follows the southern side of the townhouse, a room twice then half again as long as it is wide. Many tall, double-paned windows and sets of doors face the gardens, and are often left open to let all but the hottest day's air stream in through sheer silk drapes. Two fireplaces anchor the opposite wall, surrounded by large, ornately carved mantles. Overhead, the ceiling curves over in a graceful barrel vault painted to mimic the sky. The artist was a master, shading azure into orange and concealing tiny slivers of glass in the plaster, giving it and thus the room a mood that changes as the day spills by until night comes and the stars emerge indoors.

Clusters of furniture break the length of the great room up into manageable areas, but they are unified by the choice of materials. Pale wood and white marble underpin thorough use of the silver and black resplendent in the textiles. Other colors are used like punctuation, rich coral pink and harbor blue drawing the eye. Rugs, carved screens, and tall silver urns filled with fresh flowers further define the space, all graciously elegant without being overwhelming. That is left to the tapestries that hang on the interior wall. Vast, magnificent things, they recount the history of Camlach from the angel's days among mortals to the last great war on the eastern front.

When looking out of the windows, you see: It is a winter day. The weather is cold and fair.

The Longest Night. It's called that for more than one reason. Most would say it's because it takes so long to get over it that it seems the one night goes on forever. Or something like that! While most everyone who went to one celebration or another is still abed trying to sleep off the excesses, there are still some who are up and moving, still going about their normal day.
Here's hoping that one of the estate staff is one of them, because there comes a knocking upon the front door. It's soft, but persistant, as if made by someone young with a small hand. -knockknockknockityknock-

Surely some of them are still awake. At least the ones who pulled the short straw and ended up on duty. Someone has to make sure the lords and ladies get their horses and carriages looked after when they return, for example, right? Ahem. Like Eneas when he returned from the Temple a few hours ago to hand his gift to the Priestress and wish her Joie with a bottle of the cordial, before letting her deal with the duties that surely such a day will have in store for her.
The door opening, there is a servant peeking out, then. Or perhaps it is a guard, for the question might be a bit rough in tone. "What?!".

There's an acolyte in robes of blue from Eiseth's temple. The girl is about 12 or so, and jumps when the snarly one answers the door. Her voice nearly squeaks when she answers, "I am sorry to disturb you, sir. I'm here to fetch Priestess Gwenaelle. She's needed urgently at the temple. Please, sir!" Dare she even wring her hands a little as she studies the man, shifting from one foot to another as she stands on the door step.

Perhaps the man had been expecting someone else, for he is looking decidedly too high when he opens the door. And then has to peer down at the girl. The question, however, makes him frown a little. "Priestress Gw…oh. The redheaded one? Pretty?", he wonders, before he starts to scratch at his beard. "Don't think she came in this way today.", he pauses, before he sighs. "Come in, out of the cold…", he offers, finally, before he steps aside to let the girl in and close the door behind her again. "I'll see if she snuck in with that Beaune-lord through another door.", he says, before he walks the small hallway down to open another door, and for a moment speak to one of the maids to check that.
Turning, he then walks back to the girl, to end up standing near the door again, in swkward silence with the girl for a moment. "So. aren't you a bit too short to be an acolyte?"…

The maid will head to Eneas room, to knock, to inquire if she is indeed with him, and eventually Eneas will come down to the main entrance himself, just having thrown on a shirt and some pants apparently. Aw, someone woke him. "Where is the the alco…", he begins, only to spot the girl, and he grins. "Hello there.", he offers, stepping closer to her to crouch. "I am sorry. Are you sure you got the right house? Gwen…", he pauses. "…Priestress Gwenaelle, that is, hasn't visited me today…perhaps she went to see someone else? A patient?".

Yes, she's short. And likely will remain short even if she's really hoping to get a growth spurt in here soon. She might be lucky if she asks the Companions nicely in her prayers, right? Invited inside, she hurriedly does so, out of the wind and chill. Nodding her head, the acolyte smiles, "That would be Priestess Gwenaelle, yes." Watching as he heads off to find out if the priestess had come in, the young girl looks about the hallway, still bouncing a little on her booted feet.
From a painting hanging in the hall to the guy who opened the door, her attention swings when he returns to wait for her. The question has her peering at the man, "I am.. twelve. I still have time to grow, sir." Hmmph! She is at least polite in her words.
When finally Eneas comes down, her attention turns to the lord, offering a polite smile as he's recognized. Nevermind the hint of a giggle that she tries to squash. Likely one of the acolytes that has seen the lord carry the priestess off out of the temple. Over his shoulder the last time! But, his words do not leave her smiling for long. "Priestess Gwenaelle left to go tend to someone who was sick and was supposed to be right back. One of the Priests suggested that she had stopped by here…" Now the young acolyte frowns. "If she is not here, then perhaps she's returned to the temple, so I will head back. Sorry to disturb you, milord."

The threat of giggles has Eneas loft a brow at the acolyte, though he takes a moment to rub at his eyes while she answers him. Yep, stil has some cobwebs in his head, apparently. Aww, poor Eneas tried to catch up on sleep apparently. Ahem. "Who did she go to see to?", he wonders, before he blinks his eyes open again. "And how long ago did she leave?". For a moment he just tryies to figure out what exactly made the acolyte show up at the Estate in the late hours. "Wait…you ran all the way here on your own?". Yeah, Eneas frowns a bit more. "Let me get my coat. I'll walk you back…", he says, straightening once more, before covering a yaaawn with a hand. "Would you get the young Mademoiselle a glass of hot tea or cocoa while she waits?", he wonders at the maid, before he begins to trott off to get dressed a bit warmer. And fetch his sword, of course.

"A guy came in to the temple. Said his wife and kids were ill at home, so Priestess Gwenaelle went with him.." As for the time, the Acolyte hmms, slow to shrug, "I am not sure when she left, only that the Priest thought she should be back, and figured she came here as she does sometimes?" When asked, she grins, "I caught a ride with a farmer part the way." So she didn't run all the way to the estates by herself, but that's not something out of the ordinary, right? "Hot cocoa?" That would likely be a treat for the young acolyte, and she's already bouncing with excitement, forgetting that she came here to fetch the priestess with some 'urgency'. Whoops.

"Allright…", Eneas says, when explained how Gwen went to see one of the many who randomly walk into the temple. It is not that he is overly worried, yet, but it is odd, and the merc is up now, right? As for the acolyte running over to the Estate? No, perhaps not too unusual, and yet, not wanting to send the child back the way in the cold and by now dark? Epecially with possibly some drunkards around that might not even mean harm but might think it funny to tease a young acolyte, right?
So it seems the young girl will get her cup of hot cocoa, while Eneas puts on clothes, and soon returns back to foyer, pulling his cloak tighter, and apparently have asked one of the maids to lend him a children't cloak as well, to borrow to the acolyte for the trip to the temple, with the promise he will return it when he comes back. "I've been thinking. She said she would be on-duty until morning, did she not?", he wonders. "She'd not come here, then. Not unless I dragged her off, anyway.", he comments, unabashedly. Okay, so apparently now he needs to go to the temple to find out where she went. "So, would Madmeoiselle hurry up with her cocoa, please?", he urges the acolyte.

Aww, the lord is sweet. No wonder the priestess likes him! Given hot cocoa in the kitchen, the young acolyte is talking animately with one of the younger kitchen maids as she sips upon her drink. Making it last as long as she can! When he returns with a cloak for her, and a ride, she turns back to him, "She should be yes.." Holding the warm cup in her hands, she peers at the lord, giggling once more when he mentions dragging off the priestess. Yes, the story has been told a few times, and awwed over by the girls. So dashing, so handsome, so strong! Urged to hurry, she ohs, then downs the few sips left in the mug, making sure to get all the last dribbles of chocolate before she announces herself ready to return.

Sweet? Slander and Lies. Everyone knows the mercenary is mean and callous and all other sorts of unsavory flavours. Ahem. Still, as he returns, and gets his thoughts affirmed by the 12-yr old? Eneas has to chuckle, though he smirks at the giggle from the girl. "You just let the priestress know that she should get dragged out of the temple more often, mhm?". Yep, he is not above conspiring with the acolytes!
Still, when she finishes the cup, he nods his head, laying the cloak over her shoulders, before offering a thank you to the kitchen maids. Out and off they go to the temple, Polynices surely already being prepared for him. Sitting in the saddle first, he lets one of the stable boys help the girl up with him, settling her in front of him to make sure she does not fall off as he turns the horse towards the road and the short ride to the temple.

Such slander and lies has the girls, and perhaps a few boys, sighing over him at the temple. Awww. Ahem. "I will!" The acolyte exclaims, nodding her brown head. No doubt, the other acolytes will start 'helping' him in the future and have a certain redheaded priestess grumbling his name beneath her breath!
With the hot cocoa finished and the warm cloak wrapped about her, the girl follows him out, helped up the big horse's back by the stablehand. Keeping still as they head off to the temple, she's all beaming smile, still smiling when they reach the temple and she gets helped back down again.

Well, he made one girl's day at least. Still, Eneas hands her off to whoever comes out to help them when the big warsteed is heard. Leaving Poly outside, Eneas soon follows them inside, thanking the girl, and asking for the cloak back, draping it over his arm, before he walks towards one of the priests and priestresses that seem in charge, to discuss with them where the red-head has ran off to.

When the young acolyte is spied returning, a priest calls out her name, "Netta, did you find the priestess Gwenaelle?" The girl shakes her head, then points to the lord that is following soon behind her. She disappears back to her chores, leaving the priest to turn to Eneas then, "My lord." A polite nod of his head is given to the mercenary as one other priestess nearby watches with a bit of a knowing smile. Likely one that was in the temple when he last carried Gwenaelle out over his shoulder. "You need not have come to the temple?" Not alarmed is he, but it's obvious that he was waiting for the priestess to come back to the temple.

Eneas just nods his head at the priest, though when the look by the other priestress is caught, Eneas smirks and dares to wink at her. "Oh, I know. But I had a young acolyte that needed an escort back, and…", he shrugs, looking around briefly, before his eyes return to the Priest, "…I admit I am curious where you have lost Sister Gwenaelle, now.", he comments. "I take it she is not yet back? Netta, was it?", he wonders. "She mentioned she went to see a patient? How long ago was that?".

The priestess smirks back in turn to the mercenary, chuckling as she starts to head off with a patron of the temple. The priest actually frowns then, "She left out earlier this morning. Didn't think anything of it when she didn't return by lunch, but…" Now it's gotten dark, and surely the priestess should be back, or have sent word to the temple. "It is very unlike her." Gwenaelle would be the sort that would normally let people know where she was and all!

"…this morning?", Eneas does echo, the smirk and good spirits displayed to the priestress to fade a little at that, studying the priest instead. Yep, that does not sound like Gwen at all. "Netta mentioned the man was speaking of a woman and a child that needed help?", he wonders. Yep, surely a difficult labour might delay the priestress. Also, it might make her do stupid things and exert herself too much. Wrinkling his nose, Eneas reaches up to pinch his nose for a moment. "All right. Where is that man living?", he wonders. Yep, apparently the Lord is planning to go knocking on some doors himself. Ahem.

There's another nod from the priest who introduces himself as Marin. "He said that they were ill, perhaps some bad fish or the like." Not a labor that would take the priestess away, or exert her too much. When questioned, the priest frowns, and turns to another priest, "Where did Sister Gwenaelle say she was going again?"
The second priest replies, "Down off the dock area." Not a good section of the city, no matter what the nobles might try and project about Marsilikos. "She's gone there many a time to take care of some of the elder who live there." Ones that might not normally be able to make it to the temple on their own.

How often did Eneas warn young noble women away from the docks? Or to at least take guards with them? Poor Marin, surely it is not hard to feel the wave of irritation and frustration that comes off Eneas then. Letting his head fall back, he peers up at the ceiling for a moment, taking one loooong, deep breath. Nope. It would not be constructive to yell at the priest or in the Temple. But it might feel good? Ahem.
Instead, Eneas slowly lowers his gaze back to Marin, then lets it shift slowly towards the other priest. "Anything…more specific…than the dock area? Do you recall?". Yes, the mercenary is speaking slowly now, one hand to lightly tap the side of his thigh. Deep breaths, right?

That's nobles. The priests and priestesses don't normally have anything to worry about anywhere's they go. Elua and Naamah's go off on their own for a year! So while he takes the moment to gather his quickly disappearing patience, Marin and the other priest continue to talk, merely about work they've done in that area down near the docks. By the time Eneas turns his attention back to the two, they both shake their head, "No, he came in talking about needing a healer to tend his wife and child. He wasn't looking too well himself. Gwenaelle said she'd go take a look, grabbed up her things, and went with him. He was in a hurry to get back home.." What they describe is not out of the ordinary for their temple.

Sure, because they do not look like nobles and nobody could tell them apart, in their robes. Ahem. Still, bad sections of town exist no matter who goes there, and while their service to the Companions might afford them some protection from d'Angeline riff-raff, this is a port town. There are always those who do not think the potential punishments in the afterlife applies to them because they serve different gods, right?
"Very well.", Eneas says slowly. "If you do not hear from me. Or her. Or she turns back up here. Before daybreak. You get ahold of the Captain of the Watch of the City Watch. Tell him what happened. And tell him to lock down the port.", Eneas states, very methodically, but in a tone that does hint that the mercenary is much more accustomed to ordering people around than he normally lets on. "No ship to leave the port. Yes, that will upset the captains and the merchants in town, but if he does not, he can pick one of the cots in here right away, because I will pummel the shit ouf of him if I get my hands on him otherwise.".
Blue eyes have narrowed further and further the more he gets into his little spiel, letting them sweep first about the one priest, then back to Marin. "Tell me you understood what I just said.".

They are healers. Most of the time, even the riff raff from other countries know better to fool with them. As many fights and all that they get into, being black-listed at the one place with the few people willing to help you without question or need for payment, is not the way to go.
As the mercenary lays on the heavy with the priests, Marin straightens his back as if he might have been tempted to say something to Eneas. By the time the lord finishes, Marin is nodding his head, "Aye, my lord. We understand." Frowning, he does question, "Do you think something has happened to her?" Surely, they still think she's fine.

Eneas is pushy, and he knows it. Intentionally so. There is not to be any misunderstanding about what he wants done if it gets close to daybreak and the port comes to life with ships making ready to sail at first light.
Still, at least, when Marin swallows the comment back he had on his lips, Eneas does not bristle more. Surely the brute could be scary if he truly meant to intimidate someone. Ahem. The question, however? It makes Eneas close his eyes, lips to tighten for a moment. Why, sure, stab poor Eneas right in the heart, why don't you, Marin. "I…do not know.", Eneas finally offers, the tone a touch less commanding. "But she is missing for hours now. Apparently nobody saw her since then. I hope I will find her covered in vomit with three sick dock-dwellers and she just forgot the time, but…", his eyes reopening. "…she'd have send word. If only to get more herbs that she may need. So you tell me? What would have delayed her so much?".

The mercenary could likely make the poor healer wet himself if he really tried to intimidate him. It's a good thing that Eneas has pulled back on his anger, or Marin might have ended up running away or something! The priest isn't trying to stab the poor merc when he raises the question, only it's starting to hit him that hey, the priestess might truly be missing!
"Should we go ahead and alert the City Watch then? Or… wait as you said?" Marin will question the one who seems to know the best way to handle things. Nodding, even a few others who have gathered nearby, seem to agree that if anything, Gwenaelle would have sent for more herbs or something by this point if everyone was so sick.

What is it with the priests and priestesses in this temple getting caught up in their work like this that they need to be shaken by their shoulders sometimes? Ahem. So it isn't even only Gwen who does it? Eneas might have to scream afterall. Not to scare anyone, just to vent the frustration!
Eneas seems to ponder the question. "She'd hate if I raised a fuss over her if she just..got distracted.", Eneas relents. "So wait an hour or two before you do.", he tells the priest, and yet there is something else in the mercenaries eyes. Something he is not telling the priest. "I am counting on you, Marin, to do so…", he tells the priest then, before he does turn, apparently, to head back to the horse. To use the headstart he just bought himself. The risk of a ship trying to sail out of the harbor in the dark is slim, so he has a few hours, but if the City Watch is alerted and tries to knock on doors all over the docks? It might spook people, riff raff. That will not help him get answers when everyone clamps up not even knowing what is causing the ruckuss. Two hours might get him enough time to grease some palms to find out who saw the red-head and where she went. If it is innocent, surely two hours will be enough to find her, the sailor and his wife and kids. If it is not, the two hours will have exhausted his goodwill anyway, and the boots on the ground will be welcome to stir things up.